


Helping Helen

by Hezikiah



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Adoption, Baby, Rescue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-10
Updated: 2014-02-10
Packaged: 2019-01-23 06:46:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12501272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hezikiah/pseuds/Hezikiah
Summary: Donna and the Doctor find an abandoned baby outside Athens...





	Helping Helen

**Author's Note:**

> This story was a mishmash of different influences from my life. I've actually been to the site of the rubbish heap in Athens referenced in the story (which is now a park). It still haunts me to this day, knowing what regularly happened there for centuries. Kangaroo Care is real and is really awesome. If you don't mind seeing me with messy hair (3 days of labor will do that to you), [this is me and the Time Tot](https://www.dropbox.com/s/uwz5goqxogtki7e/mommy%20and%20nora.JPG) about an hour after she was born and we're gettin' our Kangaroo Care on. I got hypothermia last summer, when it was blazing hot outside (leave it up to me to have something wacky like that happen). It sucked, but the recovery involved some lovely and cuddly skin-to-skin contact from my husband. Yes, you can go "awwww" now. Finally, this picture of John Smith from "The Family of Blood" made me itch to write a story with Ten and a baby. This picture makes me go gooey every time.  
> 

**411 B.C. Just outside the city gates of Athens, Greece.**

The Doctor and Donna walked down the cobbled roadway leading out of Athens, both laughing uproariously despite the chilly wind that gusted around them. It was early spring, but the two of them didn't seem to notice the cold. “What...what was your favorite part of the play?” the Doctor asked.

“I think when the Chorus of Old Men arrived to burn down the Acropolis where the young women barred themselves and the Chorus of Old Women arrived and doused them all with water!” She stopped and put a hand on his arm. “Doctor, thanks for bringing me to see _Lysistrata._ When you offered to take me to the theater, I never imagined it would be one of Aristophanes' original productions.”

“Oh, you're welcome! I thought you'd enjoy it. Aristophanes is one of my favorite playwrights. He's a master of...” The Doctor trailed off as he saw Donna's attention wasn't on him. She was looking off to the side of the road at the ancient Greek equivalent of a rubbish heap. He didn't see what was so special about it, but Donna was staring at the mess with a perplexed expression. “Donna?”

“Shh!” She raised a finger. “Listen, don't you hear that?”

The Doctor listened for a moment and he could just make out a faint, mewling sound. “Yes. It's a kitten.”

“It's freezing out here!” Donna took off for the rubbish heap at a run. Frowning, the Doctor trotted at a slow jog after her.

“Now, Donna!” he called. “I'll not have a kitten on the TARDIS! I detest cats. Their hair gets in all the wrong places and I think the ship's allergic! Have you ever dealt with an allergic sentient spaceship?”

Donna disappeared over the top of the rubbish heap and a moment later he heard her scream. “Doctor!”

The Doctor immediately dashed over the top of the heap, sliding over animal bones, old cloth, and bits of pottery. Donna knelt in front of a large, undecorated ceramic pot about two feet across. It was intact and didn't look like it should have been thrown away. Donna was struggling to get out of her blue knit cardigan and the look of absolute horror on her face made him quicken his pace. “What's wrong?” he huffed as he stumbled to a halt next to her. He looked down into the pot, saw what had disturbed Donna, and gasped. “Oh no.”

“You poor little love!” Donna reached down into the pot and withdrew a naked newborn infant. The little girl was a slight bluish color and the roughly severed stump of a slimy umbilical cord was still attached to her belly. A mop of limp black curls topped her tiny head and she wailed weakly as Donna wrapped her in the sweater and cuddled her close. “Oh, she's like ice!”

“It's surprising she's still alive considering the temperature. Come on, let's get back to the TARDIS.”

“Who would do such an awful thing?” Donna asked as they ran for the ship. The Doctor could hear the outrage in her voice.

He shook his head in sadness. “Infanticide is common to most Earth cultures, Donna. Even in your time, especially for unwanted baby girls. It was the same for the Greeks. Death from exposure wasn't considered murder because the baby died of natural causes. I suppose this little one is just another example.”

“It's cruel and disgusting!” Donna spat as they reached the road. The baby had stopped making any kind of sounds and Donna peered at her in concern. “Doctor, she's not crying.”

“What?! Is she still breathing?” He paced alongside as Donna pulled the sweater back and they both saw the baby's chest barely moving. The Doctor reached into his pocket and took out the stethoscope he always carried. “Stop for a second, Donna.”

Donna stopped running. The Doctor donned the stethoscope and listened to the baby's heart and lungs. “She's still going, but very weak.”

Donna's fear-filled eyes met his. “Doctor, we can't let her die. Please.”

He pulled the stethoscope off and grimaced. “I don't intend to. Allons-y!” They took off running again as the TARDIS came into sight. They rushed inside. Donna dashed through the control room to the infirmary with the Doctor on her heels. “Put her down here.” He indicated a reclining medical bed and Donna laid the silent baby down. The Doctor looked up at a monitor on the wall that displayed the infant's vital signs. “We need to get her temperature up. Best way to do that is with an incubator. Problem is...” He glanced around and tugged at his hair with one hand. “I don't have one. Not exactly equipped to handle newborns, you know. I should probably rectify that.”

“I took a first aid course in school,” Donna chimed in. “So...it's like hypothermia, yeah? That's treatable with skin to skin contact with a warm person. And isn't that what they do with newborn babies, anyway? Nerys did that thing with her twins...what's it?” She snapped her fingers impatiently as she searched her memory. “Oh! Koala care.”

“Not koala, Kangaroo! Donna, you're a genius. Take your shirt off.”

“What?!” Donna stared at him, shocked. “I'm not stripping in front of you, Sunshine! How come you can't do this?”

The Doctor flung his hands out in the exasperated gesture he reserved for when his companions were being too slow. “Hello, Time Lord! I would if I could, Donna, but I can't! You're _human!_ Your core temperature is higher than mine.”

“Oh.” She looked indecisive for a moment and then relented. “Fine, but no peeking.”

“Wouldn't dream of it. Oh, your bra, too. It's got to be skin-to-skin. Hang on a tick.” The Doctor turned and dropped to his knees to rummage around in a cabinet. He emerged with a thick blanket and laid it on the bed. “We can cover you both up with this.”

“Oi, what about a nappy? I don't want her to do a wee on me.”

“Erm...” The Doctor looked around the room and then brightened as a thought struck him. He opened a drawer in another nearby cabinet and pulled out several large bandages and medical tape. “I think this will do. Go on, I won't look.” He turned his back to Donna and fussed over the baby, fashioning a makeshift nappy out of his bandages and tape.

Donna kept one eye on the Doctor as she shimmied out of her shirt and bra, then yanked the blanket over herself and settled down on the bed. “All right, pass her over.” The Doctor lifted the tiny baby and handed her to Donna, who slid her under the blanket so that she was lying between Donna's breasts with her head to one side. The Doctor pulled the blanket tight around them both. Donna settled one hand on the baby's back, the other on her bottom, and drew her knees up to cradle and support her. Donna shot the Doctor a nervous glance. “Is this right? I've never done this before.”

“I guess so, Donna. We'll know soon enough if her temperature goes up.” He opened a panel in the wall behind the bed and pulled out a thin, flexible clear tube. He attached a nasal cannula to the end and pressed a button on the panel. Air began flowing through the tube and he reached for his tape. “She could use some oxygen. This is too big for her face, but I thought I could tape this down so she can inhale the air. Is that ok?”

“Do whatever you have to do, Doctor.”

The Doctor nodded and taped down the tube to Donna's chest next to Helen's nose and mouth. “We should put a hat on her. Infants lose a great deal of heat through their heads...oh! Got an idea! Be right back!” The Doctor took off out the door.

Donna looked down at the silent infant. “You're going to need a name, aren't you?” she murmured. “I don't care if you weren't wanted, everyone deserves a name.” Donna contemplated for a few moments. “Well, I'm not naming you after Athena. Fat lot of good that did you, eh? Greek goddess of wisdom and justice, my arse. Nope, you're Helen, after the most beautiful of all Greek ladies.”

The Doctor returned waving his favorite tea cozy. It was striped in all different colors and he'd told her once that a former companion named Sarah Jane had knitted it for him. He popped the cozy on the baby's head and stepped back, pleased.

“It's too big! She looks bloody ridiculous.” Donna reached up to roll up the bottom of the cozy so it fit Helen. “That's better.”

The Doctor glanced up at the monitor and smiled. “Donna, look! Her temperature's going back up and so is her heart rate.”

“Could have told you that,” Donna replied. “I can feel her little ticker getting stronger.” She gently rubbed the baby's back through the blanket. “You're a fighter, aren't you, Helen? Maybe I should have named you Spartacus.”

“Helen?” The Doctor raised an eyebrow. “As in, 'The Face That Launched a Thousand Ships' Helen?”

Donna's eyes narrowed at him. “Yeah. She needed a name. What's wrong with Helen?”

“Oh....oh, nothing.” The Doctor looked amused. “It's only that I've been to Troy and I met Helen. The only thing her face would have launched was a riot of people screaming in horror. She's actually quite ugly. Terrible teeth and a mole on her neck the size of a fifty pence piece.” He pointed to the right side of his neck, just below his ear. “Right there. Big black hairs coming out of it, too.”

“You haven't met Helen of Troy!”

He held up his hand in a swearing gesture. “Time Lord's honor, I have! Martha and I met her just last year. She's a right dog.” He sniffed. “Mean, too. She tried to steal my shoes. Had a thing for Converse, I guess. Can't say I blame her.”

Donna laughed out loud. Suddenly, the blanket wiggled slightly and a thin, piercing wail erupted from Helen. “Oh, she's crying!”

“Molto bene!” The Doctor came over, slipped on his spectacles, and moved the blanket down a bit to examine the baby. Two small eyes as blue as the TARDIS itself blinked wearily up at him. He grinned down at her. “Well, hello! I say, you're looking a bit less blue in the skin. Turning a nice shade of pink, too.” He glanced up at the monitor again and pulled the blanket back up. “Keep her there for a while longer, just until her little body stabilizes.”

Helen wailed again and turned her face into the swell of Donna's breast. Her tiny mouth rooted around and she cried when she didn't find what she was looking for. Donna blushed. “Sorry, love. Those are out of order.”

The Doctor covered his mouth with his hand to hide his smile. “Hungry's a very good sign. She's probably a bit dehydrated, anyway. Let me see what the TARDIS can cook up for her.” He stepped into the small galley adjacent to the infirmary. He'd stored his old food replicating machine here since adding a full kitchen for his companions somewhere around his fourth or fifth incarnation. The Doctor thought for a moment, pressed a few buttons, and a slot opened below. Inside was a small baby bottle. He picked up the bottle and patted the machine fondly.

Donna had her pinky in Helen's mouth when he returned. The baby alternated between sucking on her finger and wailing in frustration. She looked up at the Doctor as he approached. “Makeshift paci. I don't think she likes it very much.”

“Of course not, it's not what she's looking for.” He held up the bottle. “Perfect replication of human breast milk. Sit up a bit and shift her sideways.”

Donna sat up more, turned Helen to the side, and bundled her into the top of the blanket. The Doctor pulled the oxygen tube off of Donna's chest and handed her the bottle. Donna had barely moved the nipple of the bottle to Helen's mouth when the newborn chomped down and began sucking hard. “Poor thing's starving,” Donna whispered.

“That's likely her first meal. Little Helen there can't be more than three or four hours old, Donna. We found her just in time. If it hadn't been for your sharp hearing, she'd be gone now.”

“God, it isn't fair.” He could see the tears welling up in her eyes and she angrily fought them off. “I don't understand how someone could just leave their baby to die a miserable, cold death like that.”

He shook his head and put his hand on her bare shoulder, squeezing it comfortingly. “We'll never know why her family decided to abandon her. If I had to guess, it's probably because they wanted a boy or she was illegitimate.”

“It doesn't matter now, anyway. What are we going to do with her, Doctor?”

Donna looked relieved. “That's brilliant.” She looked down at the baby, whose eyes had closed in contentment as she nursed. Helen had turned the ruddy color of a healthy newborn. The bottle was soon empty.

The Doctor took the bottle from Donna. “Do you know how to burp her?”

Donna shook her head. “I never babysat infants when I was younger. Too scared I'd break them.”

“It's all right. I remember how.” The Doctor pulled his pinstripe jacket off, fetched two soft towels, and slung one over his shoulder. He came over to Donna and held out his arms for Helen. Donna passed the baby over to him. “There's a love.” He swaddled her up like a tiny burrito in the other towel. The Doctor laid the baby on his shoulder and gently patted her back, pacing the room slowly. Helen was exhausted and had fallen into a peaceful slumber, but he managed to encourage a decent belch out of her after a few minutes. “Oh, there we go! Better out than in!”

His excited voice startled Helen into wakefulness and she howled in fright. “Oh, I'm sorry! Did the big scary Doctor wake you up?” he crooned, shifting her down so he cradled her in his arms. He continued to pace, patting her bottom gently and cuddling her close to his chest. He hummed a lullaby that Donna didn't recognize, but it was haunting and sweet at the same time. Helen almost immediately stopped crying and her eyes closed. She snuggled in closer to the Doctor's chest.

Watching him, a smile sprang to Donna's lips. She recalled that he'd told her he'd been a dad once. She'd never seen him handle a baby before, but he seemed such a natural that it wasn't surprising that it stemmed from prior experience.

The Doctor paced a few more minutes before he halted by Donna and stopped humming. “Two hearts, works every time. Babies can't resist.” He glanced at Donna and cleared his throat. “Um...you can get dressed now. I was about to head to the control room and I need you to hold Helen. ”

“Now you tell me, you prawn! I could have done that while you were calming her.” Donna made a face and reached for her clothes. The Doctor politely turned his back, rocking the sleeping baby while Donna pulled her clothes back on. “Ok, I'm decent.”

He handed her Helen and Donna followed him to the control room. Donna sat on the jump seat and watched the Doctor guide the TARDIS into the time vortex. A moment later, the ship landed and he strode down the gantry towards the door. Donna got up and joined him. “Where are we?”

The Doctor pushed the door open. A view of gently rolling green hills stretched out below them. A small village made from futuristic looking metal and stone buildings lay at the bottom of a path that led away from the ship. “New New New Ireland. Around 5,000,000,072.”

“What?!” Donna's eyes grew wide, but the Doctor seemed unphased.

He nodded towards the village. “The Sisters of Plenitude run a convent hospital down there and an attached orphanage that accepts lost children from all over the galaxy. Come on.”

Donna followed him down the hill. At three stories, the hospital was the largest building at the end of the village. Donna saw a lower building next to it and children of all ages and species were playing outside on a playground structure, watched over by nuns in grey and white habits. She hugged Helen tighter to her chest as they entered the hospital and the Doctor walked up to an intake desk. He spoke briefly with the veiled nun behind the counter, who nodded and pressed a button. A moment later, another nun appeared from an adjacent doorway, but this one was in all white and unveiled. Donna was startled to see that she was a cat with human-like features. She had sweet eyes, though, and held out her arms for the baby. “I am Novice May. You may leave the infant with me.”

Donna hesitated and then cuddled Helen close. “Goodbye, Helen.” The Doctor pulled the striped tea cozy off her head, stroked her soft curls for a moment, and then nodded to the novice. Donna passed Helen over into the nun's waiting arms. Novice May turned and disappeared from where she'd come from. The Doctor took Donna's hand, squeezed it tight, and they walked in silence back to the TARDIS.

As they approached the police box, Donna said, “Cats, Doctor. Those nuns were cats. We left Helen in the keeping of _cats._ ”

He grinned at her as he pulled his key from his pocket and stuck it into the lock. “They'll take good care of her. The nuns are Catkind, which is just a result of good old evolution, Donna. It's not those nuns in particular, but the Sisters of Plenitude are one of the reasons why I don't like cats.”

“Come again?”

He opened the door and stepped back to let her in first. “It all happened when Rose and I went to New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York...”


End file.
